Operating mechanism for electric switches



E.H.JACOB& OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG|15| 1914. I y

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Inventor* y Ell-nest I^I Jacobs,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFioE.

. ERNEST H. JACOBS, OF SCI-12EI\TEC'I.A.])Y', NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION v0F NEW YORK.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916-.

Original application filed March 9, 1911, Serial N o. 613,376. iivided and this application filed August 15,

\ 1914. seria1ivo.s56,97a\

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST H. JACOBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Electric Switches, of which'the following is a specification. e

' This application is a division of my application `filed' March 9, 1911, Serial No. 613,376..

- My invention relates to electric switches and more' particularly to switches of the' type in; which the contacts are broken in oil and in which the' movable contact operates with a straight line motion.

u In oil' switches as usually constructed, the' leads of the circuit to be controlled are secured to fixed contactsv mounted in suitable insulators. When the circuit is to be closed, the fixed contacts are electrically connected .by abridging contact controlled by oper-4 ating mechanism which is generally mounted above or to one side of the switch and of which someparts project over the top of the .switch between the leads of the circuit\to be A controlled.` The operating mechanism and the parts thereof which extend between the leads` are madeof metal 'to secure the necessary` strengthr and,'therefore, the space between the leadsof the circuit must be so great that those metallic portions of' the operating mechanism which are between the leads, will not cause a breakdown from one lead to. the other. Many of the parallel motion,v operating mechanisms for compelling the movable contact to move in a ystraight lineare objectionable because cercontrolling circuits carrying large amounts tain parts of the mechanism are in between the leads or the fixed contacts, and the leads of the circuit must be spaced so far apart thatthe Hoor space occupied by the switch is too great. v

The object o'f my inventionis to .generally improve ,switches-particularly adapted for ,of energy.

Anotherobject is to give the movable contact a straight line motion by means of 'a parallel motion o erating mechanism mounted toone side o the switch and havr, ingf a '1`1 actuating arm of vminimum width projecting over the top ofatlieswitchffbe- `is reduced ,to avminimum;

sulators 3, each and secured to the frame l by means of the -fixed contact 6 in a by and to tactil.

tween the leads, so that the lateral diinensions of the metallic members between leads and pivots, links, and other ljulky parts of the parallel motion mech-anismare placed so far away from the live parts of the switch that the mechanism does not lhave any tendency to cause breakdown from one live part to another, and a further object is to guide the movable contact in substantially a straight line so that it works easily and drops away from the fixed contactsquickly and does not swing out of alinement with the fixed contacts.

My invention will best be understood in I connection with the accompanying drawings, which, merely for purposes of' illustration show some of the various forms in which my invention .may be embodied andin which` Figure 1 is a View partly in sectlon of a form of switch embodying my invention and particularly adapted for mounting upon a switchboard or similar support; and Fig. 2 is a detail view ofthe switch shown in, Fig. 1. n

The particular form of switch shown in Fig. 1 is especially adapted to be secu'redto sov a switchboard or other suitable support and to be operated by hand. As Ishown in the drawing the switch has a horizontal frame 1 which may be secured to any suitable -support and which carries the various parts ot the opera-ting mechanismand also acts as arv coverfoi' the Switch. To the frame 1 is detachably secured an oil tank 2 containing a sufficient amount of oil or other insulating liquid' to submerge the contacts lof thev switch so that whenthe circuit is opened, the areL is. extinguished by the oil. r

The switch shown is designed to control a three wire circuit and therefore six inprovided with a flange 4 clamp 5, are arranged in twoparallel rows with three insulators in each row, corresp'nding to the leads in the circuit which is to be controlled. Through each insulator extends a metallic rod, not shown, which at its upper en dis securedto a leadof the cire.

cuit and which on its'A lower end carries a coperate with fa" bridging coii-.

position to be engaged`| e Said links, andmeans connected to oneof said links and actuated by the movement of said actuating lever about said pivot to cause said operating lever to lmove about said pivot and thereby cause a point onV said operating lever to move in'a straight' line.

4. An operating mechanismifor an elecvtric switch comprising a support, an operating lever and thereby 'cause a point on said operating lever to move in a straight line.

An operating n'ieehanisin for an electrie switch comprising a support, two pivots fixed on said support, an actuating lever mounted on one of said fixed pivots, a link having one end pivoted to said support, a second link pivoied to said actuating lever at a point eccentric to the fixed pivot oi said lever, an operating lever having different points pivoted to the other ends of said links, and a guide link mounted on the other fixed pivot to extend toward the first pivot, said guide link being pivoted to oneiof said links between the ends thereoic to control the position of said operating lever to cause a point on saidlever to move in` a straight" line.

6. .Anf operating mechanism for an electricswitch comprising a horizontal support, an operating lever pivoted to said support, a. pivot ixed inI said support, anactuating lever mounted on said pivot, two links pivotedto the other end of said operating lever,

one of said links being mounted on said fixed pivot and-the other. being -pivoted .to said actuating lever, and a guide link mountedon a pivot fixed in said support, said guide link being pivoted to one of said other links to shift said operating lever with relation to said actuating lever and thereby lcause a point on said actuating lever to move in L straight line.

tric switch comprising ay support, a` pivot vfixed to said support, an actuating lever mounted on said pivot, a` link having one end secured to said pivot, a second link pivoted to said actuating lever eccentric to said pivot, an operating lever pivoted yto the other ends of said links, a second pivot fixed to said support, and a guide link mounted on said second pivot to extend toward said first pivot and pivoted to one of said links between the ends thereofl to causeoneend of said" actuating lever to move in a straight An operating mechanism for an elec-'- 

